SHOULDN'T BULLYING IN POLITICS STOP?

People should think about that.

Many people believed that bullying should be made illegal, and it could "happen anywhere and to anyone", as StopBullying.gov web site has indicated; and who wouldn't agree?.

However, the worst type of it should by all means be political bullying; which has been going on with both parties, Democratic and Republican, in media ads and statements to put their point across; and it should be regarded as fair, if it was left there.

Yet, when it should spread to the United States Congress, and leading members begun to attack other people in other branches of government, like the Executive, namely the White House, and even parts of an administration, (and it could be any administration) such as the DOJ, it became repulsive.

For example, the leaks of classified information by the press, which undoubtedly must be taken seriously as they affected an important issue no less than National security, it was proper for members of Congress to debate and point out the repercussions, if steps were not taken to stop them (leaks).

To use the leaks and say that the scandal was President Barack Obama's fault, and then to blast him all week and weekend long by honorable members like Sen. John McCain and Rep. John King, (R-NY); with the media Sunday panels adding more material to the accusations, made it somewhat pathetic to see a president trying to gain his composure on national television.

In all actuality, Obama's statement of "the private sector doing fine," was in reference to his own figures as the number of jobs being created or churned out over a period of 18 months during his watch, which were four and a half million jobs, and so they were very significant.

He was forced to restate the "doing fine" assertion after his Friday's news conference, just as he has said that the White House would not put out classified National security information. He has added that such an accusation was "offensive".

His administration had "zero tolerance" for such leaks, he had said; but his reversal of the private sector "doing fine" remark has come about by pressure to correct himself from outside sources.

Though, it was not done publicly, but it was felt by many people that there was some bullying going on; and that was totally humiliating, if not wrong, for the president to endure that kind of pressure.

The same went for Attorney General Eric Holder, who has been in hot water and in the "hot seat" for months before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, headed by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). He too would not have any rest.

The committee "will consider a measure next week to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for failing to provide requested information on the department's handling of the "Fast and Furious" gun-smuggling sting operation." (CNN, 06/12/12).

Again, many would accept that members of Congress were doing what they were supposed to do; to probe cases like Fast and Furious, which the public was furious about. It was their duty to get to the bottom of that case; just as several investigative bodies, including the FBI, have cropped up to deal with the sources of the leaks.

All those steps were appropriate in due course; yet, to cite a contempt of Congress against the AG, after providing all the documentation that his department needed to present to the Committee was going too far, besides the prolonged brow beating by the Republican members of that committee that he has suffered.

If that did not constitute a from of bullying then nothing else would; and it should be recognized that, when such people, Obama or Holder, who basically were public servants, were subjected to that form of treatment, their families and supporters felt their pain too.

On top of that, if the situation in American politics became one of bullying, then not many decent individuals would find it necessary to be part of the "crop" that were needed to run the political and government institutions, as aforementioned; and that would be to the disadvantage of the nation as a whole.

Bullying in politics was like wearing a gun holster around the waist without a weapon; the emptiness of it was obvious, but the real message was lost, because of the shattering noise in which it was packaged.

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AUTHOR

owurakwasip

6 years ago

Well, what can I tell you, Brenda? And so is life.

So far, the DOJ has been "doing fine" under AG Holder; the first African American to hold that post.

This time, the bullies are the Congressional Republicans, because he is the one at the receiving end.

Everybody can swear to that, except perhaps you.

Brenda Durham

6 years ago

The fact that it's being handled by the DOJ is the problem! It's pretty dumb to expect the DOJ to "police" itself, especially in a critically high position as Holder is in. Who wants to be responsible (if they're conservative, knowing they'll be bullied; and if they're liberal they won't do it anyway) for prosecuting that Department head?

AUTHOR

owurakwasip

6 years ago

Brenda,

You and I know that whatever they are asking for will not come to pass. It will never happen.

The committee has every right to poke the AG as much as its members want; those who are familiar with cases like that are urging Holder to stay calm.

Why? Because, it's an election year and everything becomes political.

Issa and his counterparts are just trying to milk a dead cow.

The case itself should not be closed, because someone got killed; and so the investigation must continue.

However, the end result will come from the investigation, which is still is being handled by the DOJ, and not from Congress.

Brenda Durham

6 years ago

So...just because the sting is over, is that supposed to mean the issue is closed?

If justice is administered that way, that would mean that as long as a citizen gets by for months with murder, no one knowing about it and him not held to any responsibility for it, then....he should never be held to responsibility? Is that what you're saying?===that because it happened months ago, so the issue should just disappear?

AUTHOR

owurakwasip

6 years ago

My point is that the bullying is being perpetrated by both major parties, especially, in their campaign ads. If it will be confined to that area of activity, then that will fine.

The U.S. Congress will always be a venue where tit-for-tat is an everyday occurrence; but now, it is taking up more of the members' time for them to practically do anything else.

The fact is, the "Fast and Furious" gun-running sting has been over for months; so, why is Rep. Darrell Issa and his cohort group doing their damnest to wring blood from Attorney General Eric Holder's nose?

All they were having was a condescending session; and in the process wasting taxpayer money.

Just today, they are asking him to resign, without the approval of the whole U.S. House of Representatives or the Senate.

That sounds like bullying to many people; if not to you, Brenda.

Brenda Durham

6 years ago

I checked out that government site. From the entry page, indeed it is as I said.

Brenda Durham

6 years ago

Umm....you should take a look at how Obama and Holder have bullied others before you take up for them. As it stands now, your compassion for the current Administration amounts to a form of "sympathy for the devil". Really.

Where were you when Obama bullied Congress (and bullied all of America) in order to get his so-called healthcare bill passed? Where were you when the Administration bullied Governors who spoke out for and enacted State legislation to try to clear up our border problem?

I'm not saying you don't have a couple of valid points here, but indeed it looks like it's totally one-sided, and that's not even fair. The StopBullying.gov website is most likely just as biased as the current Administration is, illustrative of its current biased policies all around. I may check it out, but since it comes from the Bully-in-Chief, I can probably assume it's akin to his former "Flag" program where he tried to get liberals to turn in their conservative neighbors, all to try to avoid responsibility for his own bias. Mr. Obama is only out to push his personal liberal agenda.

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